Machine and method for use in binding paper pads



April N. H. NELS-ON 2,076,435

MACHINE AND METHOD FOR USE IN BINDING PAPER PADS 26 77 mwwb Cm Filed June 24, 1955 Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES MACHINE AND METHOD FOR USE IN BIND- IN G PAPER PADS Nels H. Nelson, Dayton, Ohio Application June 24',

8 Claims.

The invention relates generally to the paper binding art and more particularly to a process of trimming excess binding material from bound pads of paper, together with apparatus for ef- 5 fectively carrying out such process.

The paper or fabric backing strips utilized in the binding of pads of paper are commonly out to lengths somewhat in excess of the widths of the pads to be bound, and after being adhered, or otherwise attached thereto the protruding ends of the strips and the rough edges of the sheets are removed all at the same time by a trimming cut of the entire length of the side edges of the pads in power cutting machines such as are well known in the industry. In some cases the binding could be accomplished individually by previously cutting the binding strips to lengths exactly corresponding with the widths of the pads and then carefully registering and applying them to the binding edges of the pads, but such alternative is objectionable due to the unusual accuracy required, and the large time requirement. One object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a' method of economically and rapidly trimming the protruding ends of binding material from bound pads without necessitating an attendant trimming of the lateral edges of the body of the pad.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method of trimming the protruding ends of binding material flush with the lateral edges of bound pads which method may be carried out on readily efi'ected modifications of conventional power driven rotary saws.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of simple and inexpensive apparatus operable to quickly and easily effect the above object upon a plurality of bound pads in a single operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the method of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the'apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of one element of a pad supporting clamp; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a bound pad with a binding strip adhered thereto and pro- 1935, Serial No. 28,038

jecting beyond its lateral edges in readiness for trimming.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the trimming device generally indicated at H], is supported on a bed plate ll surmounted by a frame l2.

A stationary platform I3 is fixed to the upper surface of the frame l2 and its left hand portion, as viewed in Fig. 1, is formed with rearwardly extending, spaced, parallel guideways l4 arranged to slidably support a movable worksupporting table IS, the under surface of which is'provided with ways l6 which coact with the ways 14. The work table is urged to its retracted or forward position by a tensile spring ll which acts between a fixed point [8, on the platform I3, and a stud l9 secured to the work table adjacent its rear end. A limiting stop 20, fixed to the platform. in the path of the Work table, func-. tions to define the extreme retracted position of the latter part. I

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3,- a short shaft 2| is journaled in bearing brackets 22 and 23 carried by the frame I2, for rotation on an axis perpendicular to the path of movement of the work table l5. A suitable pulley 24, fixed to 25 the shaft intermediate its bearings, and a belt 25, provide a driving connection from a motor 26, supported on the bed plate I I. The inner, or left hand end of shaft 2| is provided with a trimming tool, which, in this instance is a circular cutter 21 having a cutting edge 29 and an external face 28 which is preferably slightly concave. Thecutting edge 29 lies in a plane parallel with and adjacent the right hand longitudinal edge of the work table as shown in Fig. 3.

A plurality of bound pads are adapted to be simultaneously supported on, the work table l5 for movement across the face of the rotary cutter 21 to sever the protruding ends of the binding strips. To this end, the upper surface of the work table is provided with clamping means effective to firmly engage the pads and to be moved from clamping to releasing position as an incident to retraction of the work table after a group of pads have been trimmed.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the stationary element of the clamp comprises a plate 30 rigidly attached to the table by means of angle brackets 3| and projecting normally of its surface on a 50 line extending perpendicularly to the path of table movement. The movable part of the clamp consists of a plate 32, fixed to a pair of spaced, parallel slides 33 so as to define right angles with the plane of the surfaces of the slides as well as with their 55 5 The slides 33, and their associated clamping plate 32, are guided for movement longitudinally of the work table by a bearing strip 36 of somewhat greater thickness than the slides, which is secured to the table surface. Complementary strips 31 and as, the right hand edge of the former being positioned flush with the edge of the table, furnish an adequate base for pads to be trimmed. The movable element of the clamp is yieldingly urged to clamping position by a spring 5 39, acting between a stud secured to one of its slides and a pin fixed to the surface of the table. Lateral positioning of pads gripped between the clamping elements is effected with respect to a stationary lateral guide extending from a position in front of the cutter, to a point rearwardly thereof, so as to accurately guide the work throughout its traverse of the working face of the tool. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the guide 40 comprises a bar spaced above the platform l3 a distance sufficient to engage the lateral faces of the pads above the protruding ends of the binding strips thus permitting the latter to freely project through the plane defined by the cutting edge of the tool. The forward end of the guide bar is supported by a block 4|, fixed to the platform, and its rear end is rigidly attached to or formed integrally with, an arcuate section 42 concentric with the axis of the tool and anchored to the plat- 5 form rearwardly thereof. The guiding face 43, of the bar 46, is positioned in the plane of the cutting edge of the tool and with its arcuate section, forms a continuous guide across the face of the cutter.

Now coming to the method employed in utilizing the above described apparatus: A bound pad in readiness for trimming is shown in Fig. 5. A binding strip 44, which in this instance has been folded over the bound edge of the pad at 45 and 46 to engage its top and bottom surfaces, protrudes beyond the pads lateral face 41 as indicated at 48. The operator grasps one or more such pads in his left hand, meanwhile retracting the movable clamping element with his right hand and posi- 0 tioning the pads between the clamps with their lateral faces in engagement with the guide bar as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The: movable clamping element is then permitted to move to position to bind the pads against the stationary member of the clamp, under the influence of its tensile spring 39, and by then exerting pressure through handle 34, the work table is forced rearwardly against the action of its spring I! to move the pads across the cutting face of the rotating tool thus severing the protruding ends of the binding strips flush with the lateral faces of the pads. The spring I I acts to return the work table to its initial position where the trimmed pads are withdrawn by retracting the movable clamp through handle 34.

It will be obvious that I have provided a method,

together with apparatus effective to carry out that method, whereby the projecting ends of binding material may be severed flush with the lateral faces of bound pads in an operation easily and d quickly accomplished on readily effected modifications of conventional power saws. The rotary cutter employed may be of very small power requirement as compared to the huge shears employed in cutting through the entire pad. And

the rotary cutter which more or less gradually eats its way through the projecting binding can operate effectively without the projecting binding, although of a flimsy character, collapsing.

While the method herein described, and the form of apparatus for carrying this method into effect, constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and form of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for trimming the protruding end of a binding strip flush with the lateral face of a bound pad, the combination of a rotary cutter, a work table arranged to move in a path parallel to, and immediately adjacent the plane defined by the rotary edge of the cutter, yieldable means normally tending to retract the work table to work receiving position, spring actuated clamping means to yieldably support a plurality of pads in said table, and a guide positioned in the plane of the rotary edge of the cutter and arranged toengage the lateral faces of pads on the work table on a line spaced from the projecting end of the binding strips to guide the pads across the face of the tool and sever the protruding ends of the binding strips.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotary cutting tool, a work table to support a pad of paper for movement across the face of the tool to sever the projecting end of a binding strip from the bound edge of the pad flush with its lateral face, and a lateral guide positioned in the plane of the face of the tool and spaced above the supporting surface of the table a distance sufiicient to engage the lateral faces of the pads above the protruding ends of the binding strip to permit the said binding strip to project across the plane defined by the face of the tool.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a cutting tool, a work table arranged for movement in a plane substantially parallel thereto, means to support a pad on said table in a vertical position with its bound edge resting on the table surface, and a stationary guide positioned in the cutting plane of said tool and spaced from the surface of the table to engage the lateral face of the pad on a line above the protruding end of the binding strip.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotary cutter, a movable worktable, and clamping means to maintain a work piece on said table comprising a stationary element fixed to the table in a plane normal to the direction of movement thereof, a slidable element arranged to coact with said movable element to engage a work piece therebetween, and yieldable means to urge said movable element to work engaging position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a trimming tool, a work table to support a pad of paper while the tool and table are moved relatively 101116 to the other to trim the projecting end of the binding material from the pad, and a guide, spaced from the work table in the plane defined by the cutting edge of the tool to engage the side face of the pad above the protruding end of the bindingmaterial.

6. In a trimming device including a trimming tool, the combination of a work table to support a stack of pads of paper while the tool and table are moved relatively one to the other to trim the projecting ends of the binding material from the pad, a guide with which the pads are adapted to be aligned, and means to grip said stack of pads on said table in aligned position, said last mentioned means comprising a fixed part on said table extending normal to the plane of said guide, a part extending parallel to said fixed part and. arranged to be moved toward and away from the latter, and means to yieldably urge said movable part toward said fixed part to grip said pads therebetween.

'7. The method of trimming the ends of binding strips which protrude from the opposite side edges of a bound paper pad which comprises stacking a number of the pads together, holding the side edges of the stacked pads along one side of the stack against a guide surface with the protruding ends of the binding strips at one side of the stack projecting outwardly of the guide surface, and relatively moving the pad stack and a r0- tatable cutter in the plane of rotation of the cutter and in a direction transverse of the plane of the paper sheets of the pads so as to cause the cutter to sweep through the protruding ends of the binding strips and sever the same flush with the guided edges of the pads.

8. The method of trimming the ends of binding strips which protrude from the side edges of a bound paper pad which comprises stacking a number of the pads horizontally on a flat support with the binding strips at the bottom, moving the side edges of the stacked pads at one side of the stack against a guide surface with the protruding ends of the binding strip projecting outwardly of the guide surface, and then moving the pad stack against a rotatable cutter in the plane of movement of the cutter and in a direction transverse'of the plane of the paper sheets of the pads so as to cause the cutter to sweep through the protruding ends of the binding strips and sever the same flush with the guided edges of the pads.

NELS H. NELSON. 

